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Rennie appoints Hooper as Wallabies skipper

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New Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has reaffirmed his support for Michael Hooper, naming him captain ahead of the upcoming international season.

In a statement released on Wednesday, incumbent Hooper said it was "an absolute honour" to once again lead the Wallabies, and thanked Rennie for the vote of support.

"It's a privilege to wear the Wallabies jersey, I feel proud to lead my teammates and to represent those players that have gone before and all Australians," the 28-year-old said.

"I'm really excited about this group and the direction we are heading. We have already spent some quality time together, defining who we are and what we stand for and what we plan to achieve in the coming months."

Meanwhile Rennie, who took over the top job in November last year, said Hooper would be a "great role model" for the next-generation Wallaby stars. 

"I've been really impressed with Hoops. We've spoken a lot over the past nine months and it's highlighted his passion and commitment," Rennie said in a statement.

"He's a good man with an outstanding work ethic and he's a great role model for our young men coming through.

"He's keen to lead, and is highly respected by the Wallaby family. In the end his appointment was a straight forward decision."

Hooper has been at the helm of the Wallabies for 46 Tests, behind only George Gregan (59) and John Eales (55).

The news comes on the same day that Australia's national airline Qantas announced it would be withdrawing A$20 million worth of sports sponsorships due to coronavirus-induced shortfalls.

The airline has been the Wallabies major partner since 2004, and a sponsor for three decades. 

Qantas chief customer officer Stephanie Tully said in a statement: "In an environment where thousands of our people have lost jobs and thousands more are stood down while they wait for flying to restart, we can't maintain these sponsorships in the way we have in the past.

"While we're dealing with this crisis and its aftermath, the cash cost of our sponsorships has to be zero."

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